Golf Pushes Further into the Music Business
From Drake's OVO collection to Bieber’s golfing premieres, the music world is making golf its stage.
Justin Bieber just hosted a listening party surrounded by golf clubs and celebrities. This wasn’t a country club affair; it was a slick, Gen Z-coded event with music-industry aura, and Aussie golfer Min Woo Lee blending in among the crowd.
On the same week, Drake’s OVO brand dropped a full-blown golf capsule with Callaway and Vessel. Golf is being culturally hijacked, and the music business is one of the major instigators.
We’ve seen fashion claim golf as the next frontier, I’ve spoken about how sports like football (soccer) have leaned into it’s historic connection to the game, and music artists like Travis Scott, Tyler the Creator, and DJ Khaled have been playing a major role in the connectivity of golf and music. But it seems like the music connection is growing momentum with the industry’s sharpest minds showcasing golf as a lifestyle accessory, equal parts luxury, rebellion, and aesthetic flex.
Bieber’s “SWAG” listening party didn’t just feature golf; it was golf. The entire experience was designed to feel like a studio session at a golf facility. As an avid golf fan, Bieber understands what golf represents right now: access, elevation, and cultural connection.
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Then there’s Drake, another cultural tactician who never enters a space without knowing its long-game value. His brand, OVO, dropped new golf collaboration with Callaway and Vessel isn’t your traditional collection; it’s a slick, black-and-gold statement that focuses on symbolism and sophistication.
What makes these moves matter is not just their optics, but their reach. Music has always held a unique power over perception. When artists embrace something, it doesn’t just get visibility; it gets validation from culture’s most influential storytellers.
Of course, this didn’t start this week. But there’s a difference between aesthetic proximity and full lifestyle adoption. The last two years have pushed golf past that tipping point. DJ Khaled posting swing clips like a golf influencer, Travis Scott and Tyler The Creator releasing collections, and Schoolboy Q, once an outlier for his golf obsession, is now seen as a pioneer in music circles. This is what cultural tipping points look like: when outliers become archetypes.
The smart players in music know what’s happening. Golf offers a canvas for an evolving identity, and for artists who’ve mastered their domain, it’s a new frontier of authenticity. Want to show evolution? Swap the studio for a putting green. Want to tap new markets? Show up at Pebble Beach Pro-Am with your label logo on your hat. It’s not a gimmick, it’s brand architecture focused around something they’re passionate about.
It’s also big business. Brands like Callaway and Vessel don’t just see this as a moment; they’re very aware of the consumer pivot. Today’s golfer doesn’t just subscribe to Golf Digest; they read Julius Oppenheimer’s HypeGolf features on Hypebeast, wear Travis Scott Jordans, and likely pay more attention to their favourite artist in a campaign than a pro golfer.
There’s a generational nuance at play here too. For millennials and Gen Z, golf is no longer seen as a post-retirement hobby or a corporate networking cliché; it’s a personal aesthetic, a place to be seen, and a backdrop for creativity.
Let’s be clear, though, this is not a purity war. Golf purists might not be fans of this evolution, but this isn’t about destroying the game’s legacy; it’s about expanding its lens. Both can exist side by side; acceptance and respect for both sides of the coin should be encouraged. A culture shift doesn’t ruin the sport; it adds fuel and keeps it relevant to new expectations, making the sport enjoyable for a new generation growing up in a different world.
The Venn diagram between golf, fashion, other sports, and music is becoming one concentric circle. And the cultural tastemakers are bringing a level of visual and emotional storytelling the sport has never had before.
Thanks for reading, David Skilling.
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